Sturgeon says she was deceived and betrayed by husband Murrell in Scotland embezzlement case

Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has spoken out following her husband Peter Murrell's guilty plea to embezzlement, saying she was deceived, betrayed, and lied to. Sturgeon says she is struggling to come to terms with having been married to someone she did not truly know.

Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has broken her silence following her husband Peter Murrell's guilty plea to embezzlement charges, saying she feels deceived, betrayed and lied to by the man she was married to.

In a deeply personal statement, Sturgeon said she is «coming to terms with being married to someone she did not know» — a striking admission from one of Scotland's most prominent political figures. Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party, entered a guilty plea in connection with the embezzlement of party funds.

The case has sent shockwaves through Scottish politics. Murrell had been at the centre of a lengthy police investigation into SNP finances, and his guilty plea marks a dramatic turn in a saga that has already claimed significant political reputations. Sturgeon herself resigned as First Minister in 2023 amid the broader controversy surrounding the party.

Sturgeon's statement made clear that she views herself as a victim of her husband's actions rather than a knowing participant. She said she had been lied to and that the revelations forced her to fundamentally reconsider her understanding of her own marriage and the man she had shared her life with.

The case continues to cast a long shadow over the SNP, which has been working to rebuild public trust following a turbulent period marked by leadership changes, internal divisions, and the ongoing criminal proceedings involving its former senior figures.